I Hate the Man in My Basement

Dustin Cook's film is a compelling independent drama-thriller that combines surprising sympathy, retaliation, and sadness into a suspenseful character study. The film examines the hazy boundaries between justice and humanity through the eyes of Claude, a widower who secretly imprisons the guy who killed his wife. The tale is elevated by Chris Marquette and Manny Montana's strong performances, and Cook's direction strikes a balance between moments of emotional depth and disturbing tension. A thought-provoking thriller for fans of dark, character-driven stories, even though its pacing and realism occasionally falter.

A dark indie tale that tips the scales of revenge and compassion, with a grieving protagonist who begs both for your sympathy and your contempt. This drama gives us some amusing moments peppered into its disturbing themes, but most importantly it's watchable and I never felt as if it had to struggle to keep my attention. There are elements to the story which are a little unrealistic, namely some things that unfold around the protagonist's budding romance, and I believe it would have been better overall if it had run a little shorter. The last 20 minutes sour things slightly, but not enough to overtake the surprisingly powerful performances delivered by the film's two male leads. 6/10.

This was a good film. Never over the top, it slowly showed the emotions of all the characters, and made for a good watch.7/10.

All of the female characters must have been selected for their weird and overly excessive eye movements. Much of the movie is a statement on how people interact on first dates/new relationships when in their 30's.

The director must believe it's cute to grab a boob on a first date, or joke about innuendos related to underage kids - though that humor doesn't entirely rule the movie. I assume he used to vehicle to enhance the theme of awkwardness in being back on the dating circuit. Claude's 40 yr old pal acts like a junior high football player with unchecked hormones. Jokes about masturbation are prevalent and inappropriate to the plot. Humans do not interact like these characters - it reeked of absurd scripting. The plot had potential and some positive moments. I think the movie would only need about 35-45 minutes to keep viewers more engaged and the story moving. The best part of the film was the dialogue between Claude and his girl about 75% through the film. Best actor goes to the detective - he was most believable.

I love a film that leaves you with questions at the end and this is full of questions and I'm ok with that. I really disliked the main character and his friends and felt sorry for the guy in the basement but that's ok too. Great performances, great story and nicely edited and directed.